IMS Global: So consortia like IMS Global serve a useful purpose in that they can facilitate improved methodology through collaboration between higher education institutions and companies such as Microsoft?

MB: We've really engaged with IMS Global because we see it working on very important areas of interoperability that are directly relevant to our work. In particular, if you look at Common Cartridge, we really see it as having the potential to get us as close to the goal of re-use and supportability of content. With publishers and vendors at the same table with administrators, we can make the vision of a critical mass of interoperable online learning resources a reality. And that, to be able to solve some of the challenges that educators and students face, for all the things we've been talking about, is extremely important. We really think that Common Cartridge creates the opportunity, but it takes all of us around the table to do that. And if you look at QTI for assessment, we think this specification has had input from wide and varied experts in the field and can really serve as the base of assessment-based standards going forward. The real value of the work that we've done with IMS Global is the ability of the organization to pull together that wide group of experts so that we can feel comfortable and confident that by carrying forward that work, we're actually achieving our ultimate goal which is to improve learning outcomes.

IMS Global: Back in 2004, you moderated a Town Hall discussion for President George W. Bush on the technology workforce needs in the 21st Century. If you could sit down and give any advice with regard to technology and education to the next president of the United States, what would you tell him or her?

MB: What this country needs in order to maintain its comparative advantage is to fix the crisis that we have at all levels- primary, secondary, and tertiary-to retain and maintain students in the disciplines we need to fuel innovation in science, technology, etc. We've got to get out of these antiquated ways of thinking about credit and pathways and start really streamlining processes so that individuals can knit together a relevant, rapid education that has strong transference to the economy that meets the needs of employers. And it shouldn't really matter where they got or acquired the learning. If they can prove that they've done it and have been successful, we should give them credit for it and we should figure out a way to knit together those alternative pathways.

We are out of time. This crisis we have in maintaining our innovation economy, some think we have a long time to solve that problem and we don't. I've watched just about every U.S. presidential debate for this election year and it kills me that only now is the economy really being teed up. And even now, the debate is often about what we need to do to keep the jobs at home instead of what we need to do to overhaul our education system in order to keep them from going overseas in the first place. How do we make it easier for incumbent workers, who need those tough-up skills, to re-enter the education establishment so they can do it easily and integrate it into their busy lives? And with our aging population, we better figure that out as well or we're going to lose because we won't have enough knowledge workers to keep up.